1881. } Zoblogy. 809 
problems, but we must remember that the author was himself wit- 
ness to the inter-breeding of the carrion crow and the hooded 
crow in Siberia, and it is known that this also takes place in cer- 
tain parts of Great Britain. Having seen this with his own eyes, 
and brought back to England a large series of the hybrids, it was 
only reasonable for him to suppose that other birds are also capa- 
ble of hybridizing, and the reviewer thinks that the author proves 
his case with regard to the two blue rock thrushes (Jonticola cy- 
anus and M. solitarius), which in certain parts of China interbreed ; 
and it is most curious that the vast majority of the birds found in 
the winter quarters of the Eastern blue rock thrush, from Burmah : 
and Malaisia to the Mollucca islands, appear to be hybrids. Ac- 
canians minuta, a reintroduction of trinomial nomenclature which 
the reviewer does not at all like. The intermediate form, too, ap- 
pears to be principally found in the Island of Formosa, though 
also met with at Chefoo, on the mainland opposite Japan, while 
one of the other forms is an inhabitant of Japan, with the excep- 
tion of one Formosan skin in the author’s collection, and the 
other is said to breed in South China and Hainan. Of these three 
forms, then, we should suppose that the Formosan was the oldest 
bird from which the other two had developed themselves, but that 
they had not as yet become entirely separated as distinct species. 
€ must wait for more evidence with regard to the South Afri- 
can chats, to some of which Mr. Seebohm has applied his princi- 
ple of hybridization, as the reviewer is not yet satisfied that the 
changes of plumage cannot be accounted for by the more natural 
Process due to age or the season of the year. 
Breepinc Hasits oF THE Fish Hawk.—On the 28th of April 
I visited, in the southern part of Rhode Island, what could be 
called a colony of these birds, for from my position at a nest in 
the top of a buttonwood tree, I could count no less than twelve 
of their massive structures, all in a radius of halfa mile. In one 
tree I saw what appeared to be two nests, but on closer examina- 
tion found that a nest had fallen and lodged in the lower branches, 
the birds using the old site for a new home, ‘ee 
‘S One approaches their nest the bird stands up, whistling a 
shrill Peep, on coming nearer it rises, and after a circle or two 
Sometimes re-alights, inspects its eggs, and if the intruder does 
not withdraw, the cries of distress bring the male, after which 
both birds circle over the nest, the male higher and showing less 
anxiety than the female. 
n one case, on ascending to the nest of an old pair, I was 
attacked by the birds and forced to descend; but I think it is sel- 
dom that they manifest so much courage. The bird at other 
times is extremely cowardly, allowing crows to chase it, and once 
Saw a crow blackbird, whether Quiscalus versicolor or @neus, 1 
VOL. XV.—No. x, 56 
